Abigail Hoosier
Mrs. Fontenot
Graduation Project
25 September 2017
Elementary Education
What do children get during an entire school day? Are children getting the proper amount of learning hours? Are all seven hours used properly in the elementary schools? Some people think that children have either too many objectives to complete daily, or not enough. In this paper the different parts of an elementary school day will be broken down into sections and discussed. The different topics being reviewed are: “Are Teachers and Students using the School Day Properly?”, “Why Electives are Needed in Elementary Schools”, and “Why Recess Time is Necessary.”
Are teachers and students using the school day properly? When a child and a teacher enter a school to begin the day is it pre-planned what tasks will be completed that day? As seen in the chart to the left, studies have shown that during a public school day teachers spend 25% of the time teaching in the classroom, 20% of time is used to grade work. Also 30% of the time is spent preparing the classroom for activities and lessons. The other 25% of total time is used for miscellaneous purposes such as meeting with students and parents, meeting with administration, serving as an administrator in his or her classroom, and even teaching or coaching extra curricular activities. (C. Victoria). Teachers have busy schedules as well as students. Students are required to know all of the material as well as the teacher does.
In majority of schools, students are required to do homework in regards to their personal time at home once the school day has concluded. In this present day and age homework is a very debatable topic. Some people are all for being allowed to complete and/or start activities at home on their personal time while others hate it and do not even complete the tasks and assignments. Is too much homework given, or not enough? Homework should be used in moderation in order to complete any unfinished previous assignments from that school day. A second-grade teacher in Texas went viral on the internet due to her public “No Homework” policy. In her classroom no formal homework will be assigned. Her reasoning is so that children can have the availability that will allow time to spend time playing outside, getting a good night of sleep, read, and spend time with their families. She stated that “Research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance” (Chan, Melissa). Can you believe that some teachers assign homework as a punishment for the entire classroom full of students?
Are elective classes needed in the elementary schools worldwide? The denotative definition of the word “elective” is, an optional study; a course that a student may select from among alternatives (dictionary.com). A few examples of an elective class in elementary schools are Art, Music/Chorus, and Physical Education. Some schools also used going to the library or having the guidance counselor come in and have an age appropriate condensed, short lesson as an elective. The reason a great number of people cause a disruption in order to keep the arts programs going in schools is because art programs are a way for children to open up, and even explore and/or pursue different career options within a school day/week/year. Elective classes are commonly referred to as “brain breaks.” Elective classes pause the uniformity of the regular routine school hours. Electives also teach students life skills, motor skills, and extra hand-eye coordination practice (Donovan, Ben). Majority of students enjoy the elective seminars offered rather than the core classes required. Having the availability to have elective classes allows students to bring a small amount of freedom into the school day. To the majority of students elective classes are more interesting than the core classes.
Why does outdoor recess have to be a part of the school day? At this point in time people want children to play outside, hang out with friends, learn simple “old fashioned” skills, and most importantly learn how to be themselves. When a child is allotted a small amount of time to run and play outside with other children in the same age group the children will bond better, and make new friendships. Outdoor recess time can also be used as a time for the more “hyperactive” students to get rid of any extra vibrancy that could interrupt the learning and instructional time of themselves, and also others. Indoor recess is an alternative to outdoor recess on the occasion of rain, or any other extreme weather conditions occur. Educators give authorization for students to practice academic skills, and/or play games alongside other scholars. Investigations have shown that the outcomes of having recess are less bullying amongst students and by the time recess is over the young apprentices are cognitively prepared to learn (Mathematica Policy Research and the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities). In all honesty, children should be allowed recess and physical education elective classes every single day of the ordinary school week. Educators nationwide lean towards children having some form of physical activity everyday. To a large number of students going t school and having recess and physical education classes is the only physical exercise they can get.
Requirements to become an Elementary Level Educator are very specific and tedious. A valid teaching certificate and Bachelor’s degree in most cases is required. In order to become licensed as an Elementary Educator a student teaching internship and a final state exam must be completed and accredited (encyclopedia.com). Some high schools offer an almost three hour long class/internship called “Early Childhood Education.” Within that course students are able to go to a local Elementary school and serve as an intern or a Teacher's Assistant, also known as a “T.A.”
How many Elementary Schools nationwide offer foreign language classes? Research has shown that only ninety-one percent of public schools offer foreign language classes in High School. Only fifty-eight percent of Middle Schools offer foreign language classes, and only twenty-five percent of Elementary Schools offer foreign language classes. If a student starts learning a different language at an earlier stage such as Kindergarten, cognitive abilities will be higher (Manno, Michelle). Think of teaching foreign language at an early age as if you were teaching the alphabet to a young child. If a child repeats something over and over again like the alphabet, the chances of it being committed to memory is higher. Have you ever been told to write something out over, and over again in order for it to become fully committed into memory? That is what learning a new foreign language will be like if it is learned in the early stages of life. If it is repeated and the student is around the new language constantly at school, and at home one day it will be fully submitted and committed into the memory. Children are innocent and pick up on new things almost immediately anyways, so why couldnt children learn a foreign language at an early stage, and age in life?
Works Cited
C., Victoria. "What Teachers Do Every Day." Experience by Simplicity, 29 June 2017,
Chan, Melissa. "Texas Teacher Explains Why She Won't Give Kids Any Homework." Time, 23 Aug. 2016,
Dictionary.com. "Elective Definition." dictionary.com, Accessed 21 Sept. 2017.
Donovan, Ben. "Youth Perspective: Schools should continue supporting elective classes." rrstar.com, 13 June 2014
encyclopedia.com. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Manno, Michelle. "More Elementary Schools Offering Foreign Languages." teach.com, 28 Dec. 2012,
Mathematica Policy Research and the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities. "Does Better Recess Equal a Better School Day?" Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 14 May 2013